ORCA
by evil-sami-poo
Summary: H2OXOcean Girl A stronger, more powerful Cleo feels betrayed when her friends start ignoring her for Charlotte, so when she is given the chance to study at ORCA with Zane she takes it, not knowing she isn't the only non-human at ORCA. Zaneo


I hope you like this. It is something I've wanted to do for a while, but was always to scared to.

_**Disclaimer: **_I don't own H2O: Just Add Water or Ocean Girl/Odyssey

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Cleo looked over to where her 'best friends' were. Emma and Rikki were sitting. Emma and Rikki were sitting under a tree. Emma and Rikki were sitting under a tree and laughing.

Emma and Rikki were sitting under a tree and laughing, with _Charlotte. _

Normally Cleo wouldn't have minded that so much, Charlotte was a nice enough girl but Emma and Rikki had been her best friends for nearly a year; they shared the most powerful secret together. And they were ignoring her completely, ever since Charlotte arrived at the beginning of the year, nearly a month a go her contact with her fellow mermaids had lessened, they didn't even call her to ensure she was safe on the full moon during January, it was only with Kim and her father's help that she didn't see the full moon. Even Lewis, her boyfriend – well, now ex-boyfriend – didn't attempt to talk to her as much. Cleo tugged at her white shirt nervously, she stepped forward to approach them then stopped when Lewis walked up to them and smiled at _her_. It wasn't just any smile though; it was _their_ smile, the smile that was reserved completely for her. Charlotte giggled before pressing her lips to Lewis' cheek; Cleo swore that at that moment Charlotte looked right at her. She scowled and spun on her heel, walking back towards her house, the water started sloshing around her and the tree's leaves rustled dangerously. A figure in black sighed softly before he revved up his motorbike, speeding in the opposite direction.

---

Kim looked at her sister, for the first time she had tears in her eyes. She rubbed them away with the heel of her palm. Their father sat across from his daughters, a sad smile on his face.

"Are you going to take it?" He asked softly, Cleo look up from the letter on the table in front of her. She read the contents of the letter once again.

_Dear Miss Sertori_

_I am pleased to say that your application to Intern at the research facility:_

_O.R.C.A_

_has been accepted. You and one other student will have the opportunity to work at our underwater research station._

_Transport has been organized for the sixteenth of March to take you to Port Douglas where you will be taken to the entrance to the facility. _

_If you have any inquiries please do not hesitate to ask._

_Sincerely _

_Dianne Bates_

Cleo worried her lip between her teeth; she had applied for the job when she was still human, almost a year ago.

"I need to think about it." She blurted out and ran out of the door, letter still clutched in her hand. Kim sighed as she looked at where her sister was once sitting.

"It'll be good for her, won't it dad?" She asked quietly.

"I hope so sweetie, I hope so." His mind sped back nearly a month to when he discovered his daughters deadliest secret.

---

_Cleo sat on her couch hugging a pillow. Her knuckles were white as she glared at the man opposite her, this man was her mother's new boyfriend, his name was Phillip. Don sat next to his daughter rubbing her shoulders as Kim stood in the doorway, refusing to listen to her mother. Their mother sighed softly before standing up and excusing herself. Phillip smiled, almost leeringly at the youngest Sertori, Cleo cracked her thumb almost threateningly at the disgusting man._

"_So Kimberly, do you think you will visit your mother and I at all?" Phillip drawled, Don's hand tightened on Cleo's shoulder as Kim looked disgusted at the man._

"_As if I would." She sneered, Cleo cheered inwardly for her sister. _

"_Now, now, how would you mother feel about that?" He said and jumped up to walk over to Kim. Cleo snarled and before she could stop herself she thrust her hand out in front of her. Phillip gasped and clawed at his throat, his eyes bulging and his face turned red. _

"_Don't even think about it!" Cleo growled as the man collapsed on the floor. She pulled her arm in as her mother walked in._

"_Phillip?" She squeaked, Cleo smiled innocently._

"_He must have been feeling a bit tired, why don't you take him home?" She suggested. Her mother nodded and with Don's help took him out to the car. Kim pressed herself up against the door frame in fear of her sister. _

_Don sat at the kitchen table with his daughters._

"_Cleo, what just happened?" He said sternly, Cleo turned to her little sister._

"_Kim, you remember that time when you thought I was a mermaid? Well, you were right." Kim looked confused until Cleo turned on the tap and manipulated the water to touch her. She bubbled up, but instead of the large, golden-red tail she used to have Cleo had a sleek, yet strong, silver tail. She looked at it in shock as she flexed it experimentally, she grinned when she felt more control then ever on her tail. She pursed her lips and concentrated, steam evaporated off her leaving her with two legs._

"_Well, that's new." She murmured to herself, forgetting temporarily about her audience._

---

"Cleo!" Zane yelled when he saw the familiar, tanned brunette, Cleo turned around in mild shock before her expression hardened.

"What do you want Zane?" She bit out defensively, nervous from being so close to the boy that nearly exposed her just a few months ago, she kept her hand behind her back for safety.

"You got accepted into the ORCA program didn't you?" He asked quickly, staring straight at her, she cocked her head to the side in confusion before donning another look of shock. Zane rummaged through his bag quickly before he withdrew a similar letter to hers. She grabbed it as soon as he held it out to her and read the contents of the letter, almost identical to hers.

"How did you find out?" She asked quietly, yet boldly, "Not even Emma and Lewis noticed I sent the application in. No-one ever found out that I applied for it, they would have laughed with my fear of the ocean."

"My dad knows a woman who knew the people who with the selection for the ORCA program and when she discovered that I was accepted into it she did some digging to find out who else was coming, she was really surprised that we were from the same area and everything. Are you going to take it?"

"I'm not sure; I mean it's a wonderful opportunity. But I'll have to leave my dad and Kim, and it's been so soon since mum left. And…" She trailed off nervously, avoiding his eyes.

"And you're a mermaid." He finished for her; her head shot up as she looked at him in disbelief. "Don't be so surprised, I worked out that you would never really give up the opportunity to be a mermaid, and now that I know what you are I can see all those little signs. Don't worry, if we both take this then I can look out for you to the best of my abilities." He said seriously, Cleo bit her lip, wondering how much she could trust Zane, she looked to her right, deep in thought before she froze. Charlotte, Rikki, Emma and Lewis were walking towards the JuiceNet, smiles on their faces, totally carefree. Zane glanced over and glared at the girls, the glare intensified when Rikki waved at Nate who greeted her happily. Cleo looked back at the boy next to her.

"Let's do this. If worst comes to worst I suppose I could kill who ever find's out." She said jokingly, "But tonight is a full moon, and I want to spend one last moon in the Moon Pool at Mako. Meet me there before the moon rises?" Zane nodded seriously and the pair walked away from their old lives.

---

"Hi Mr Sertori!" Rikki sang out chirpily as she and her friends walked up to his boat.

"Hello girls," he said, "Lewis." Lewis nodded at the man on the boat.

"Where's Cleo?" Emma asked with a smile on her face. Don looked up in confusion from where he was untangling the nets.

"Didn't she tell you?" He asked with a frown, "Cleo and her friend, that Bennett boy, Zane were accepted into a research program… ORCA or WHALE or something like that, she left three days ago." Rikki, Emma and Lewis exchanged surprised looks.

"Did you say ORCA?" Lewis asked quietly, a look of realization appearing on his face.

"Yes, that underwater research facility near Port Douglas or something." Don said with a nod. "I hope she will be okay with all the water, especially now…" He trailed off before snapping out of his daze. "I'm really sorry, but I have to head back to the ocean. You kids don't mind do you?" The group shook their heads silently as Don pushed the boat away from the pier.

---

"Are you ready for this?" Zane asked as they approached the boat that would take them to ORCA.

"No." Cleo answered honestly, her hands twitched as she neared the water, on the boat sat a boy and a girl, a few years older than them.

"Zane and this is Cleo." Zane said holding out his hand. The boy shook it, but Cleo could see the wariness behind his eyes.

"I'm Jason and this is Neri." He replied, the tanned girls seemed to stare each other down before Neri spoke quietly.

"You are one with the sea aren't you?"

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Well... that's the start to this story, If you enjoyed it I would really appreciate your feedback!! Is it worth proceeding? Should Emma, Rikki etc go to ORCA or should ORCA go to them? I am in two minds about this!


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